KOMODO DRAGONS - Forked Tongues Rule

Here's the Los Angeles Times with an article on how the establishment of Komodo National Park has been good news for the Komodo Dragons (which are thriving), rather less good news for the people on the island, many of them struggling to survive - Forked Tongues Rule.

Mohammed Sidik used to sell goats to Komodo National Park to feed to the wild Komodo dragons, the world's largest lizards, in a gory display for tourists.

Park officials banned the practice a decade ago because they worried that the dragons were becoming lazy. Now the 10-foot-long predators waddle three miles to this squalid coastal village, raid Sidik's herd and eat his goats for free.

"For the last two years they have been coming to the village," said Sidik, 60, who has lost seven animals to the dragons. "When they get thirsty, they come down to our well. The park no longer feeds goats to the dragons, so now the dragons come here."

Full Story here